


Flying Lessons

by NaomiJameston



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Past Character Death, Past Violence, flying "lessons", flying squid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26035690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiJameston/pseuds/NaomiJameston
Summary: Unspeakables- and spouses- Hermione and Severus need to travel to Peru without being detected. The best way is on a broom, but there's a problem- Hermione's afraid of flying.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 14
Kudos: 83





	Flying Lessons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LunaP999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaP999/gifts), [EmeraldStormborn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldStormborn/gifts).



> So many, many thanks to my beta LunaP999!

Severus was still talking. His words flowed over her in the same way they always did- warm and smooth and vibrating deep in her core- but she didn’t hear them. She couldn’t hear anything above the buzzing in her ears and the rising fear making her breaths shallow and rapid.

“-ne? Are you all right?” Severus shook her shoulder gently and she snapped back to herself.

Gulping down nausea, she asked with a weak smile. “I’m sorry; did you say we would fly there?”

Severus raised an eyebrow quizzically. “I did, yes. It’s too far to Apparate in one shot and any shorter trips we make could draw attention. So unless you have a better idea-?

“Floo?”

He shook his head. “Nothing near enough is connected. We’d have to Apparate anyway.”

“Muggle means, then? Trains or automobiles or-”

“Hermione,” he interrupted, placing his hand gently on hers. “Are you afraid of flying?”

“No, of course not!” she declared with a dismissive laugh, but her voice wobbled. She cleared her throat and swept her gaze to the floor. She could hear him stand and begin to pace. Back and forth, the way he did when he was thinking. She’d seen it often enough through their years together- as partners, as eventual lovers, and now as spouses. His pacing was almost as comforting as his touch and every bit as precious.

“Come with me,” he said suddenly. Hermione looked up to see his hand held out in front of her. She took it without hesitation, though her eyebrow did rise in imitation of his imperious stare, and let him pull her to her feet.

“Where are we going?” she asked. Severus snatched her robe from its hook by the door and helped her into it, fastening the clasp at her neck securely. He didn’t answer her question, instead focusing on his own robes with more care than usual, making sure his own clasp was secure and the flowing panels free to flow around him. He twitched the fabric into submission with a satisfied grunt and held open the door to let her pass under his arm. He locked their office door with a quick flick of his wand, the wards flaring to life in a blue flash before fading back to invisibility. The energy they emitted was palpable and far more than was strictly necessary; many of their fellow investigators had questioned what exactly Severus was hiding in there that he needed so much security. Hermione herself had once had those same questions, but after a few intimate conversations in which the door remained firmly closed, she was grateful for the wards.

“Where are we going?” she asked again as Severus bypassed the corridor leading to the Atrium. He didn’t respond verbally as they passed by the flowing crowds of fellow Ministry workers, still busily making their way in and out despite the late hour, but he gave her a look she knew well. The same look that had gotten her in and out of more trouble than Harry and Ron had ever dreamed of. The one that said, “Trust me.” Which she did, implicitly, but she still let out an annoyed huff. He chuckled under his breath and stopped by a low table above which hung a portrait of the first Minister of Magic. Hermione had stared at the portrait many times, surprised both at the Minister’s outrageous expression and the fact that it didn’t move. It wasn’t Muggle-made entirely, though; it reeked of magic and something that made her want to move away.

“Severus-” But he shushed her again and slid his hand along the edge of the portrait frame. Hermione heard a tiny click and the pressure of the magic on the frame eased with a gentle pop. A section of the wall slid open a few centimeters, just wide enough for Severus’ fingers to grasp. He grunted as he pushed it along a track. Hermione cast a glance behind her to see if anyone noticed, but the Atrium beyond was grey and veiled. Ah, she thought, a Disillusionment Charm. Of course.

Severus tugged on her arm impatiently and she gave him an amused smile as she crossed the threshold.

“What is this?” she asked, looking around the tight corridor as Severus slid the door flush to the wall behind them. It was surprisingly clean and well-lit; the sparse furniture was very old fashioned, all dark wood and ornate embroidery, but looked well cared for. There were several doors along the hallway, but Severus pulled her past them to a staircase on the far end.

“This is one of the many hidden rooms Ulick Gamp had installed after he became Minister.”

“As part of the founding of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?” Hermione asked.

Severus snorted. “Officially, yes. But unofficially they were to keep his mistresses separate from each other, his wife, and the general public.”

“Ah,” Hermione said with a dismissive huff as they climbed the stairs. “And why are we here?”

“For this.” Severus swung open the door at the top and stepped out onto the roof of the Ministry building. They looked over both the edge of Diagon Alley and the Muggle office buildings that surrounded the Ministry. Cars drove by slowly and pedestrians crossed the street in clumps. A man in a far alley cursed loudly at two cats fighting. Somewhere a dog barked. It was the very picture of a cityscape at night.

“Impressive,” Hermione mused, “given that the Ministry building is underground.”

Severus snorted from a few feet away where he was unlocking a chain from a storage shed. He wiggled his fingers at her dramatically.

“Elementary, my dear Watson. It’s magic.”

“Obviously,” she laughed and rolled her eyes. “It’s beautiful up here. Do you visit often?”

“When I need to think, yes. I’m surprised I didn’t wear a hole through the roof before I proposed.”

She leaned against the roof ledge, enjoying the breeze of the cool night air through her curls. Though she knew it was fantasy on her part, she imagined she could almost see her Severus of a few years ago pacing and muttering as he debated the merits of binding himself to her. His magic sparked when he was deep in thought, all sizzling blues and greens, and left behind little burns as the sparks died. She took a deep, happy breath. 

“I love you,” Severus said, suddenly appearing behind her and pressing his full length into her back. His left arm came around her belly to pull her into him, the warmth of his hand against her abdomen curling in her core. She purred and pressed back against him.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. She twisted in his grasp to kiss him, but her attention was caught by his other arm. “Severus. What is that?”

“This is a broom, dear heart,” he said with a chuckle.

She felt her back foot shifting to lean her weight away from the broom. “That doesn’t explain why-”

“Consider this your first flying lesson.” He took her hand to lead her back to the middle of the flat roof they stood on. Hermione tugged on his hand.

“Severus. Severus, no. I already had flying lessons in first year. I despise flying. I don’t- I can’t-” Her words came in rapid puffs as she fought down memories and panic.

“Breathe, love. In and out, slowly. Count to four. It’s all right.” Severus’ arms came around her and she buried her nose in the soothing scent of his skin at the base of his neck. “We don’t have to fly at all if you really don’t want to. I was only offering to help you be more comfortable since our next mission-”

“I know. I know.” She took another deep breath before stepping back to stare at the broom in his hands with trepidation. “I just… the last time I was on a broom, I nearly died. Hedwig _did_ die. I’m not…”

“Shh,” Severus smoothed a hand down her hair. “I understand and I’m sorry. It was a bad idea.”

He stepped away to lean the broom against the shed wall, but Hermione laid a hand on his as he reached for the key in his pocket.

“No,” she said with a wobbly voice and an audible gulp. “This is something I need to get past if we want to have a chance of getting to Peru in time.”

Severus smiled. “All right, but we will stop the moment you say. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” She snickered. “Do I need to hold my hand over it and say ‘Up’?”

Severus rolled his eyes with a snicker. “Hardly. We’re going to mount it together and get used to hovering and circling over the roof. We’ll go a bit further if you’re comfortable with that.”

“And if I’m not?”

“We stop immediately and find another way to get to Peru.”

She nodded slowly, her eyes locked on the broom as though it was a rabid dog. She took a deep breath, her lips pursing as she counted to herself, and she reached out for the broom. Severus passed it over slowly, letting her swing her leg over before he mounted behind her.

“Ready?” he asked. Her head twitched in an approximation of a nod, and he kicked off gently. The broom hovered less than a foot off the roof before gliding back down.

“Still all right?” he asked, and Hermione nodded. 

“I suppose you can go a little higher,” she said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

“Only as far as you’re comfortable, love.” He kicked off again, this time pulling the handle back so that they hovered waist-high. Though she obviously tried to stop her reaction, Hermione’s hands twitched on the handle and she pushed them down to land hard. She leapt off the moment her feet touched terra firma and fled to lean against the wall with her arms wrapped around herself.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She wiped her hands over her face, scrubbing at the tears gathering in her eyes. “I’m so stupid. It’s a broom. It’s not going to hurt me. I’m just being-”

“You aren’t,” Severus said quietly next to her, the broom hovering so that their faces were level. “There is nothing stupid about trauma, Hermione. We can work past it if you would like, or we can set it aside and find another way. We’re brilliant; I’m positive we can make our way to Peru without being detected.”

She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and shook her head. “No. I’ve lived with this long enough. It’s time to move on.”

Severus nodded solemnly. “I’ll help you, but there is no rush. As you well know, trauma takes a long time to heal.”

Hermione smiled and laid her hand on Severus’ Marked arm, though the Mark had been run through with multiple scars. “I know. And I know we’ll get through this just as we did before. I just… I did not appreciate at the time how hard it can be on the other side of this argument.”

Severus smirked. “We are not arguing yet, but I’ll be happy to oblige you later. For now-”

“Yes, yes. On the broom.” She took his hand as she slid onto the broom in front of him. He let her kick off this time, her hands shaking on the handle but her face angrily determined. 

They hovered just barely off the roof- Severus’ boots almost scraping the tar paper- for many minutes until Hermione’s breathing eased to something resembling normalcy. Severus ran his hands along her back.

“Relax, Hermione,” he said, pressing his fingers into her shoulders to pull her upright. “If you lean forward too far, it will land.”

“I’m  _ aware _ of the mechanics,” she growled, but allowed him to raise her. “I know the theory. I know  _ how _ to do this. I just- what are you doing?!”

Severus’ right hand caught both of hers against the handle as she bucked against him suddenly. His left hand continued unbuttoning her restrictive work robes.

“I’m finding myself too warm and thought you might be as well,” he said as evenly as possible, but his smirk betrayed him. Hermione cast a suspicious glance over her shoulder.

“You are trying to distract me,” she accused. Severus grinned, his nimble fingers sliding into her robes to play along the edges of her skirt.

“I am. No one can hear us up here, if you were worried. Shall the lesson continue or would you prefer I stop?”

Hermione huffed, but her cheeks flushed. “I suppose…”

“I’m being serious,” Severus said, pulling his hand away. “If you can’t say yes, Hermione, we’ll stop now.”

“Don’t you dare,” she growled, catching his hand and bringing it back to her skirt. “I’m saying yes, Severus.”

He smiled, ducking his head to kiss along her neck. “You direct us, then, love.”

“Direct-?”

“Higher?” His hand slid along her abdomen to play with the edges of her bra. “Or lower?” His fingers slid to tease the sensitive skin just under her skirt edge.

“Ohhh,” she shivered. “Ah, higher.”

Severus’ right hand pulled on the broom handle as his left cupped her breast. She laughed breathlessly. 

“What happens if I say ‘more’?”

Severus chuckled behind her before flicking the clasp of her bra open and cupping her bare breast again. His fingers pinched the nipple as it puckered at the cold air and his ministrations. She moaned, arching into him and losing her grip on the broom handle. The broom bucked under them and she screamed, her ardor forgotten.

“I’ve got you, Hermione,” Severus said, wrapping his left arm securely around her middle and his right hand bringing hers back to the broom. 

“I know you do,” she panted. “I know, I know. I just-”

“We can st-”

“We are  _ not _ stopping this  _ now _ ,” she growled, her face flush with an adorable mix of irritation and arousal. “I just… need to concentrate, that’s all.”

“If you’re sure. But say the word and we will stop.” 

They circled the roof several times as Hermione calmed but every time she was nearly there, she’d look down and tense up again. When he leaned back to adjust his seat and the broom rode higher, she clutched the handle for dear life. Severus watched her, a crease forming between his eyebrows. 

“I have an idea, if you’ll indulge me?” 

She trembled as he caressed her hands but she nodded. Gently, he pried her death grip off the broom handle and shifted so that she could clutch his arms instead.

“I won’t let you fall, Hermione. I swear.”

She nodded again, drawing a deep, stuttering breath. “I know you won’t. I trust you.”

He cupped her cheek to press her face against his and leaned her back against him. She stared at the dark sky, the stars reflecting her fear. He smiled gently before laying his hand over her eyes.

“Keep them closed and let me know the second you feel uncomfortable.” She shook in his arms but nodded.

Severus squeezed her tight before letting his left hand play across her skin again. “So, love. Higher or lower?”

“H-higher,” she said. Severus’ hand cupped her breast again, playing with her nipple. After a moment, his other hand caressed her other breast, teasing its tip to a tight point.

“You’re not holding on?” she squeaked. He pressed a kiss to her neck.

“I don’t need to. We’re not that high and I’m an excellent flyer. And I need both hands.” She could see the arrogant smirk out of the corner of her eye, but his fingers pinched her nipples and she could do nothing but hold on.

“And if I say ‘lower,’ you’ll bring us to the ground?” she asked.

“Among other things, yes,” Severus replied, sweeping his fingers down to tease at the apex of her thighs.

“I am intrigued,” she chuckled. “Lower.”

Severus leaned forward and the broom dipped very slightly. His hands swept down, one resting firm on her stomach to keep her steady and the other sliding along her thigh until it teased the edge of her knickers. He scraped his nails along her sensitive thigh, making her gasp and writhe.

“Severus!” she whined, wriggling to bring his fingers to her core, but he stayed just on the edge. “Stop teasing!”

“Direct me, love. Higher or lower?” He nibbled at her earlobe, his stubble scratching deliciously against her skin where her robes had slipped down.

“Higher!” One hand returned to her breast, kneading the flesh in the not-quite-gentle way she craved. His other slid beneath the cloth keeping them apart and his fingers gently parted her lips. The cool air contrasted with the warmth growing between her thighs and her breath came in gasps.

“More, more, more, more.” 

His fingers filled her suddenly, her passage already slick and ready for him. His hand twisted, his middle finger found that delicious spot that only he could reach, and his thumb rubbed circles around her clit. One stroke, two, three-

“Severus, please!”

“Cum for me, Hermione,” he growled in her ear, thrusting his fingers in an almost punishing rhythm. His thumb made smaller, tighter circles, tightening the spring within her. His other hand pinched her nipple, and tugged.

She keened, writhed, and shattered. Her cries echoed off the wards around the Ministry building, and she would have been embarrassed if she hadn’t been riding the waves of her pleasure. Severus muttered in her ear as she floated, but she only caught “beautiful” and “clever.” She let the wave take her with a smile on her face.

Some time passed before she came back to herself. Severus held her close, his arms wrapped lovingly and firmly around her as he guided the broom in slow circles down to the roof. Hermione looked around them, her languidity dampening her fear to mere embers.

“I hadn’t realized we were so high,” she mused. Severus nuzzled her hair and chuckled.

“I did. What did you think?”

“I think…” she bit her lip as they came to a halt on the roof. “I think it helped, but you didn’t… I mean, don’t you want-”

“Oh, don’t worry, Hermione. This was just lesson one.” He helped her off the broom, sweeping his wand over her to restore her mussed clothing before pulling her in for a searing kiss.

“We have the entire journey to Peru for lesson two.”


End file.
